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Desktop Wireless Help: PCI Adapter Vs. USB adapter

D

Dasda

Senior member
Which one is better in a desktop? Building a new computer for my parents it will need to connect to the router through wireless. The router in the house is a Netgear WNDR3700. Please advise me on which would be a better option. If PCI, please recommend some models as I have no clue on what to get and not much I could find on my own.

Thanks
 
I actually recommend using a USB high-power wifi adaptor, on a USB extension cable.

PCI/PCI-E wireless cards, are hamstrung by the fact that their antennas are directly connected at the back of the computer to the card, and thus you can't really move them around to get the best signal. Sure, you can bend them straight out or fold them against the case, but the case is metal, and tends to block or reflect the signal.

You can get gold-plated USB extension cables cheap at Monoprice.com.

http://www.meritline.com/wireless-mini-usb-2-pen-drive-adapter---p-33917.aspx

These are only 'G' wireless, but they get good signal, often where other wireless cards or USB adaptors will only get one bar, these can get three or four bars. (Although, on one particular 'N' router, I found it only connected at 1Mbit/sec for some reason, due to an incompatibility.)

It's a realtek chipset, so it's well-supported. Especially for Linux, if you want to do any wireless pen-testing.
 
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